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From old masters to contemporary icons, modern visionaries and even a major Mexican director, galleries and institutions across the US have a series of spectacular exhibitions on the horizon for 2026.

Roy Lichtenstein

First revealed several years ago during 2023, and currently merely a placeholder listing on The Whitney’s online schedule, this expansive survey of one of the central creators of the Pop Art era carries significant expectations. The institution plans to utilize its decades-old collection of nearly 500 pieces by Lichtenstein, in addition to, presumably, numerous borrowed works from institutions globally. TBD 2026.

Drawn to Venice and Monet and Venice

Bay Area sister institutions, the Legion of Honor along with deYoung, will focus on Venice with two interconnected exhibitions: the former museum presents a celebration of the city as a source of high art for hundreds of years, while the other zooms in on what impressionist Claude Monet made of the romantic city of canals. Monet himself felt intimidated by the prospect of painting Venice – a subject that had inspired the most revered artists for hundreds of years – yet he ultimately met the challenge, creating approximately 37 canvases, among them the renowned work *The Grand Canal*. 6 January-2 August and Spring into Summer.

Sueño Perro: a film installation by Alejandro G Iñárritu

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking first feature, *Amores Perros*, filmmaker Alejandro G Iñárritu returns to more than a million feet of footage that was left out into the released movie, crafting an art installation that doubles as a love letter to celluloid. Accounts suggest Iñárritu dug deep into the vaults to create what he described as “not a tribute, but a resurrection” of one of his most beloved films. It's possible the exhibit will instil some of the hope that runs through Iñárritu’s film despite the pain he simultaneously documents. Late Winter through Summer.

Carol Bove

A major New York museum is dedicating the mixed media sculptor creator a comprehensive retrospective, starting with her early works and progressing all the way up to a new collection of pieces made from found metal and industrial materials. Drawing from “the 60s” and minimalism, Bove often takes her materials directly from the urban landscape, producing fascinating and strange constructions that have been displayed in prestigious art spots. Having had significant exhibitions in the MoMA and a Parisian institution, her thirty years of creation are ready for a thorough survey. Early Spring to Summer.

Matisse’s Jazz: Rhythms in Color

Anyone familiar with the book *The Body Keeps the Score* will be familiar with French master Henri Matisse’s papercut *Icarus* – it’s actually one of 20 cut-paper works that he paired with text and published as a volume titled *Jazz* in 1947. In the coming season, Chicago’s Art Institute exhibits the complete set of Matisse’s cut-paper maquettes – the first such showing since the museum acquired the works in 1948 – as well as around 50 additional pieces by the artist. The cut paper works were part of a late stage flowering for Matisse. March through early Summer.

Raphael: Sublime Poetry

Italian master artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino is ranked with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as the celebrated masters of Renaissance Italy – yet he has seldom received a large-scale exhibition on US soil. A premier East Coast institution seeks to change that with this massive exhibition. Raphael is well-known for iconic works like his *Sistine Madonna* and *The School of Athens*. Featuring works from all across Europe and more than 200 works total, this is poised as a major event. 29 March–28 June.

Shu Lea Cheang: Lover Love

A New York Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art presents a significant and immersive film-based work by transmedia artist and director Shu Lea Cheang, a prominent voice in new media art. As with most of her work, Cheang here investigates the everyday realities of transgender existence. Lover Love is designed as a highly interactive piece, with audience members invited to interact with the four moveable screens that display the core footage. 2 April–January 2027.

Leilah Babirye

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston showcases recent creations from this artist, who was forced to flee her native Uganda when her identity was revealed as a lesbian in 2015. Babirye is recognized for deconstructing unconventional materials to make elaborate, LGBTQ+-themed assemblages. The show showcases recent pieces based on the concept of same-sex marriage. This continues her ongoing project of using found items as a symbolic act of resistance. Late Summer 2026 into early 2027.

Taking Back Our Space: Body Language and Power

Building on the pioneering work of west German feminist photographer Marianne Wex, who analyzed how men and women are socialized to inhabit space differently, this exhibition investigates how body language shapes unconscious interaction. Wex’s research spanned art as old as ancient sculptures. In this presentation, Wex’s explorations are displayed and juxtaposed with the work of modern Black, queer, and feminist artists. Fall 2026 into 2027.

Additional Highlights for 2026

In February, a Pacific Northwest institution showcases the evocative shadow-based work of Samantha Yun Wall. Beginning 5 March, an art gallery is featuring the work of up and coming Black artist an innovative creator. During the summer, an Arkansas museum reexamines 80s graffiti artist Keith Haring through a show of his three-dimensional works. Come fall, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show a collection of the artist's architecture paintings. Simultaneously, an Arizona venue displays the colorful work of South Korean painter Kim Chong Hak.